Trophic relations between macroinvertebrates in the Vlasina river (Serbia)

Abstract

The aim of the study presented was to define trophic relationships within the benthic community according to functional feeding groups (FFG) in the Vlasina River (Southeast Serbia), with an attempt to use those results to describe the watercourse. In an investigation performed during 1996, a total of 125 macrozoobenthic taxa were identified, 95 of which were included in FFG analyses. Although the investigated part of the river, in its physical and chemical characteristics, as well as characteristics of the benthofauna, generally corresponds to what could be expected, certain variations of faunal composition were observed along the river. Two groups of sites were separated by FFG analysis - sites on the upper section of the river and on a tributary (the Gradska River) comprised one group, while the remaining sites made up the other.Cilj nam je da ovim radom prikažemo trofičke odnose u zajednici makroinvertebrata prema funkcionalnim grupama u ishrani (FGI) u reci Vlasini (jugo-istočna Srbija) i te rezultate upotrebimo za opisivanje vodotoka. U okviru istraživanja obavljenih tokom 1996. godine, od ukupno 125 identifikovanih taksona makrozoobentosa, 95 taksona korišćeno je u FGI analizi. Iako istraživani deo reke, sa njegovim fizičkim i hemijskim karaktristikama, kao i karakteristikama bentofaune uopšte, odgovara srednjem toku reka, istraživane su fine promene u distribuciji bentofaune duž toka. Izdvojile su se dve grupe lokaliteta prema FFG analizi - grupisali su se lokaliteti gornjeg sektora reke kao i pritoka Gradska reka, dok su ostali lokaliteti formirali drugu grupu.nul